1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus for handling articles and for distributing articles from a single line of production into a plurality of travel paths and, specifically, into a plurality of travel paths wherein the articles can be counted and arranged in spaced-apart groups of preselected numbers.
Normally, articles for production lines, such as containers being filled with a product, come from the filling equipment with sealing means applied to them in a single line in abutting relationship on a conveyor and have to be divided into a plurality of lines and a plurality of groups of products in order to be filled into packages such as three-packs or six-packs or a container containing four lines of six-packs each or twenty four boxes per package. This division of a main stream article line transported on a conveyor into a plurality of travel paths can also be necessary when it is desired to separate containers of similar cross-section shape, by height, or by color, or during an inspection process where it would be necessary to reject containers for articles for flaws or missing components such as caps or labels being absent from the containers. In addition, it is desirable to take containers from a single lane discharge and divide them into groups, for example a three-pack or a six-pack or any other number so that they can be packed into a container for final sale. It is often desirable to bypass containers to different lanes or different conveyors for the purpose of diverting containers onto a conveyor which bypasses a machine whose function is not required for a specific container.
All of the above can be accomplished by having an article distribution apparatus which can be programmable according to preprogrammed information to distribute articles into different paths according to size, color, quantity desired or number of paths desired.
With the above in mind, it is the principal object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for distributing articles into selective travel paths wherein the sequence of distribution is variable and controlled by means of a preprogrammable mechanism.
It is another object of the present invention to provide apparatus for distributing articles into selective travel paths wherein the apparatus is adjustable to accommodate a specific number of objects in specific relationships in each travel path.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for distributing articles into selective travel paths wherein the guide means for distributing the articles can separate the articles from abutting relationship on the infeed to specific spacing between articles on the outfeed to the specific article discharge paths.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The principal prior art known to applicant is U.S. Pat. No. 3,999,648 issued Dec. 28, 1976, to Kennedy. In this patent articles from a single lane are diverted into a plurality of lanes by means of a pivotal article guiding mechanism which can be pre-programmed. In this patent, however, articles are conveyed to the article distributing apparatus in a single line between article guide means with the articles being in a predetermined spaced relationship or in specific abutting relationship. The apparatus of this patent, however, merely provides guide means which can be pivoted from one position to another and transfer the articles to one discharge lane or another with no change in relationship between articles, no means for discharging into specific lanes undesirable or incomplete articles and no means for spacing articles in any particular relationship.
Therefore, the prior art cannot be utilized to arrange articles in specific predetermined relationships.